Challenge YOUR body image.

[alienjenn]

Thanks

I wish I could feel the way I think I look

[kaelvan]

Thanks

I wish I could feel the way I think I look

Could be perfect goal to work on for next challenge

[Guzzi]

I wish I could feel the way I think I look

I wish I could do the things that you do...

You're my hero.

Sent from my stoopid phone which hates me I swear.

[alienjenn]

Could be perfect goal to work on for next challenge

It's going to take a LOT more than one challenge to do that. ... It's difficult to bend (not because I'm inflexible but because of excess belly).... I'm getting faster ands I'm trying to remember but seventeen minute miles that I huff and puff through currently are just as hard as twenty minute miles that I huff and puff through last year. ... I don't know if that makes sense. ... I know I'm faster but it's not easier. ... I know I'm stronger but the doms never goes away never gets easier. ...

I wish I could do the things that you do...

You're my hero.

Sent from my stoopid phone which hates me I swear.

I love you guzzi mwah.... It's been a decade of hard consistent work. .... maybe in another decade I'll feel like I look

[Ahyar Dreamspark]

 I'm getting faster ands I'm trying to remember but seventeen minute miles that I huff and puff through currently are just as hard as twenty minute miles that I huff and puff through last year. ... I don't know if that makes sense. ... I know I'm faster but it's not easier. ... I know I'm stronger but the doms never goes away never gets easier. ...

 

That just means you're doing it right Like one of my former kickboxing coaches once told me: "It should never be easy. If it feels like it's getting easy, it's just you getting lazy!"

 

And hey, it took me slightly over 10 years to get down to 130 lbs from 180 also (then I started lifting and promptly went back to 140, but y'know.) There is nothing wrong with not losing all excess weight within a year. Never give up! You're on the right track, no matter how many challenges it takes.

[Guzzi]

That just means you're doing it right Like one of my former kickboxing coaches once told me: "It should never be easy. If it feels like it's getting easy, it's just you getting lazy!"

Ha! I was about to say almost the exact same thing!

A friend of mine used to go to my crossfit class, but after about 6 months she stopped going. Waaay down the line line she admitted to me that the reason she stopped was because at the time she thought it was a waste of time. She wasn't getting any fitter, she was just as knackered at the end of every class, and she always felt as if she was dying before she got halfway through.

She said it was only after she stopped going that she realised that it never got easier because Norma always pushed her to do more and more. She was fitter and stronger, but she was always pushing her limits.

Sent from my stoopid phone which hates me I swear.

[Lalie Fanyarendil]

This is something I've been thinking about since the beginning of the current challenge, when I needed to go get exercise clothes for colder weather. I have a hard time with it because I HATE wearing pants/trousers. I think they're really uncomfortable. For most of the year I exercise in skorts--the fabric on the shorts is thin enough that it's tolerable, and the skirt part makes it so that I don't feel so self-conscious. This will not work for winter, but I really didn't want to buy uncomfortable pants. The other option was leggings. I usually find them tolerable. (Thinner and stretchier material than pants.) I was hesitant to get any because of body image stuff, but I finally got a pair because: A. I go jogging after dusk, and it's too dark for anyone to see my figure well. B. Anybody who's out jogging too is highly unlikely to notice or care about my figure in any way.

 

I realized that I felt like, if I wore leggings as pants, I was declaring to the world that it should think that my butt is sexy. I do NOT think this. While there are things I want to improve about my figure, I'm relatively happy with it. (It looks a lot better with clothes on.) There are some things I'd change, but they're smallish, and probably healthily achievable if I manage to build some muscle. However, I see little reason that other people should find it attractive. I have an immensely difficult time trying to imagine that "sexy" (or pretty) could ever apply to me. I think I'm kind of cute. Things I like about my body? I like that I'm pretty flat-chested, even though it makes clothing-shopping difficult.

 

I got fitted for a bridesmaid's dress five or so years ago. I felt like I had a pretty nice figure, and I weighed about the same then as I do now. The woman who measured me told me (actually my mother, she asked, I didn't) that my bust, waist, and hip measurements were three different dress sizes, and that was an unusually big difference. She sounded embarrassed as she said this, like she was delivering bad news--that's what clued me in that my figure is not that great.

 

Trying to find a picture for comparison was hard. Maybe this? She's more curvy and less lumpy than me, but she's closer in chest size and shape than anything else I found. (And I love her hair!!) It actually feels conceited to compare myself to her because I think that she's pretty and I am not. At any rate, here is my butt in the leggings I ended up getting. I feel like I should note that I AM standing with my feet together--I'm slightly bowlegged.

 

[SpecialSundae]

Lalie, you have fucking awesome quads! (Nice ass too, but dem quads!)

[Bekah]

It's going to take a LOT more than one challenge to do that. ... It's difficult to bend (not because I'm inflexible but because of excess belly).... I'm getting faster ands I'm trying to remember but seventeen minute miles that I huff and puff through currently are just as hard as twenty minute miles that I huff and puff through last year. ... I don't know if that makes sense. ... I know I'm faster but it's not easier. ... I know I'm stronger but the doms never goes away never gets easier. ...

I love you guzzi mwah.... It's been a decade of hard consistent work. .... maybe in another decade I'll feel like I look

 

I think that is more about that you are still heavy enough, that it doesn't feel easier yet bc of where you started, rather than how far you have come? Does that make sense? Like if you started where you are now, and lost what you have and were already "normal" weight, it would feel easier? As far as how you look, seriously if you took the pic of you with the kids as toddlers, and cut off about 3 inches around the sides and your chin, thats about how you look now. VERY HUGE difference! I know it's frustrating to work so hard and not feel different, but I think that your body has changed for the better a lot, it just has a really long way to go and just hasnt made the changes as much in some areas bc it has done huge things in others? maybe? So possibly the weight loss from here on out, will make the differences where you want to see them? I know that for me, going from 250 to 200 made huge differences in my lung function and abilities to do things I wanted, granted I never was bigger than that, so I dont know how it would have been otherwise, but I do know that going down in that weight range changed things a lot for me. 

 

This is something I've been thinking about since the beginning of the current challenge, when I needed to go get exercise clothes for colder weather. I have a hard time with it because I HATE wearing pants/trousers. I think they're really uncomfortable. For most of the year I exercise in skorts--the fabric on the shorts is thin enough that it's tolerable, and the skirt part makes it so that I don't feel so self-conscious. This will not work for winter, but I really didn't want to buy uncomfortable pants. The other option was leggings. I usually find them tolerable. (Thinner and stretchier material than pants.) I was hesitant to get any because of body image stuff, but I finally got a pair because: A. I go jogging after dusk, and it's too dark for anyone to see my figure well. B. Anybody who's out jogging too is highly unlikely to notice or care about my figure in any way.

 

I realized that I felt like, if I wore leggings as pants, I was declaring to the world that it should think that my butt is sexy. I do NOT think this. While there are things I want to improve about my figure, I'm relatively happy with it. (It looks a lot better with clothes on.) There are some things I'd change, but they're smallish, and probably healthily achievable if I manage to build some muscle. However, I see little reason that other people should find it attractive. I have an immensely difficult time trying to imagine that "sexy" (or pretty) could ever apply to me. I think I'm kind of cute. Things I like about my body? I like that I'm pretty flat-chested, even though it makes clothing-shopping difficult.

 

I got fitted for a bridesmaid's dress five or so years ago. I felt like I had a pretty nice figure, and I weighed about the same then as I do now. The woman who measured me told me (actually my mother, she asked, I didn't) that my bust, waist, and hip measurements were three different dress sizes, and that was an unusually big difference. She sounded embarrassed as she said this, like she was delivering bad news--that's what clued me in that my figure is not that great.

 

Trying to find a picture for comparison was hard. Maybe this? She's more curvy and less lumpy than me, but she's closer in chest size and shape than anything else I found. (And I love her hair!!) It actually feels conceited to compare myself to her because I think that she's pretty and I am not. At any rate, here is my butt in the leggings I ended up getting. I feel like I should note that I AM standing with my feet together--I'm slightly bowlegged.

 

Meh, Im sorry your mom acted that way, and that the saleslady did as well. It's sad that we have a specific image of how bodies are supposed to be, and not just accepting bodies for what they are. I think you look just fine though  

[Bekah]

double post dance

[Guzzi]

Actually.......

Look at them side by side. I think they're remarkably similar. Yeah, she appears to be smoother over the hip/butt line, but I think that's because she's standing slightly turned with one hand strategically hiding that area on the other side. NOBODY gets away with not having that "bump"where the bum and leg meet unless they've got very little fat whatsoever.

PS. You look totally rockin in those leggings!

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[redtomato501]

[...]  I have an immensely difficult time trying to imagine that "sexy" (or pretty) could ever apply to me. I think I'm kind of cute. Things I like about my body? I like that I'm pretty flat-chested, even though it makes clothing-shopping difficult.

 

I got fitted for a bridesmaid's dress five or so years ago. I felt like I had a pretty nice figure, and I weighed about the same then as I do now. The woman who measured me told me (actually my mother, she asked, I didn't) that my bust, waist, and hip measurements were three different dress sizes, and that was an unusually big difference. She sounded embarrassed as she said this, like she was delivering bad news--that's what clued me in that my figure is not that great.

 

Trying to find a picture for comparison was hard. Maybe this? She's more curvy and less lumpy than me [...]

 

Sexy: Sexy is in the eye of the beholder? Honestly, it was a huge transition for me to be able to think of myself as sexy, and I'm still not 100% there, but what I keep reminding myself is that I have to be confident in my own skin, but not necessarily convinced of my sexiness - the only person(s) who needs to find me sexy is the one(s) with whom there's a mutual desire to have sex! Plus, I have to keep in mind all the people that I have been sexually attracted to, and how many of them didn't fit some stereotype of "sexy". Some of them would, yes, be legit "sexy", but others more cute, and even others that were conventionally unattractive, but something about them drew me in and held me captive. So, sexy is in the eye of the beholder. Love and appreciate your body (yay for loving your chest already!) and the things that it can do, and work with it!

 

Getting fitted: I'll bet she was a fairly new employee - I can't imagine someone experienced in customer service saying that! The fact that she seemed embarrassed reinforces that - it's an awkward fact to state when you haven't figured out how to phrase it correctly. That being said, I'm totally not suprised she said that, because almost nobody is a perfect fit to any size. The problem with standard sizes is that there's no standard people! Used to be, when people made their own clothes they could fit it to their body because they knew their body! Now, having ready-to-wear clothes means trying to fit a bell curve, which means a lot of ill-fitting clothes out there. That's part of the reason for so much knitted fabrics and spandex blends - they are more forgiving to a wider range of body shapes! Bridesmaids dresses, however, are still constructed on the standard sizes, but with unforgiving fabrics such as satin and taffeta, so that's why so many people will get bridesmaid and bridal dresses altered. Don't take it personally, lovie, it's not about you at that point!

 

Comparison: Ahem. You don't look lumpy, you look amazing! You have definition, muscles, shape and all sorts of gorgeousness! She's pretty and soft, you're pretty and strong! In fact, your body shape is much what I hope for, and what I envision I will look like eventually too! Stomach, ass, thighs, calves, all of it looks attractive, shapely, strong and badass. Looking good!

[kaelvan]

This is something I've been thinking about since the beginning of the current challenge, when I needed to go get exercise clothes for colder weather. I have a hard time with it because I HATE wearing pants/trousers. I think they're really uncomfortable. For most of the year I exercise in skorts--the fabric on the shorts is thin enough that it's tolerable, and the skirt part makes it so that I don't feel so self-conscious. This will not work for winter, but I really didn't want to buy uncomfortable pants. The other option was leggings. I usually find them tolerable. (Thinner and stretchier material than pants.) I was hesitant to get any because of body image stuff, but I finally got a pair because: A. I go jogging after dusk, and it's too dark for anyone to see my figure well. B. Anybody who's out jogging too is highly unlikely to notice or care about my figure in any way.

 

I realized that I felt like, if I wore leggings as pants, I was declaring to the world that it should think that my butt is sexy. I do NOT think this. While there are things I want to improve about my figure, I'm relatively happy with it. (It looks a lot better with clothes on.) There are some things I'd change, but they're smallish, and probably healthily achievable if I manage to build some muscle. However, I see little reason that other people should find it attractive. I have an immensely difficult time trying to imagine that "sexy" (or pretty) could ever apply to me. I think I'm kind of cute. Things I like about my body? I like that I'm pretty flat-chested, even though it makes clothing-shopping difficult.

 

I got fitted for a bridesmaid's dress five or so years ago. I felt like I had a pretty nice figure, and I weighed about the same then as I do now. The woman who measured me told me (actually my mother, she asked, I didn't) that my bust, waist, and hip measurements were three different dress sizes, and that was an unusually big difference. She sounded embarrassed as she said this, like she was delivering bad news--that's what clued me in that my figure is not that great.

 

Trying to find a picture for comparison was hard. Maybe this? She's more curvy and less lumpy than me, but she's closer in chest size and shape than anything else I found. (And I love her hair!!) It actually feels conceited to compare myself to her because I think that she's pretty and I am not. At any rate, here is my butt in the leggings I ended up getting. I feel like I should note that I AM standing with my feet together--I'm slightly bowlegged.

 

Do remember that girl has been Photoshopped. As for the saleswoman, what a bitch.

 

No dress ever fits anyone perfectly, unless you get it tailored made. Dress sizes aren't universal, so one company you can be size 12, other you can be 10, another 14. Fun fact: most women doesn't wear clothes that completely fit them correct.

 

So don't worry dear. You look great. You really do.

[insanity]

Lalie, you have fucking awesome quads! (Nice ass too, but dem quads!)

Seconded...

 

This is something I've been thinking about since the beginning of the current challenge, when I needed to go get exercise clothes for colder weather. I have a hard time with it because I HATE wearing pants/trousers. I think they're really uncomfortable. For most of the year I exercise in skorts--the fabric on the shorts is thin enough that it's tolerable, and the skirt part makes it so that I don't feel so self-conscious. This will not work for winter, but I really didn't want to buy uncomfortable pants. The other option was leggings. I usually find them tolerable. (Thinner and stretchier material than pants.) I was hesitant to get any because of body image stuff, but I finally got a pair because: A. I go jogging after dusk, and it's too dark for anyone to see my figure well. B. Anybody who's out jogging too is highly unlikely to notice or care about my figure in any way.

 

I realized that I felt like, if I wore leggings as pants, I was declaring to the world that it should think that my butt is sexy. I do NOT think this. While there are things I want to improve about my figure, I'm relatively happy with it. (It looks a lot better with clothes on.) There are some things I'd change, but they're smallish, and probably healthily achievable if I manage to build some muscle. However, I see little reason that other people should find it attractive. I have an immensely difficult time trying to imagine that "sexy" (or pretty) could ever apply to me. I think I'm kind of cute. Things I like about my body? I like that I'm pretty flat-chested, even though it makes clothing-shopping difficult.

 

You may see little reason, but let me just say, I think you look sexy... to paraphrase Sundae... Dem abs, ya... I like me a nice stomach.

 

I got fitted for a bridesmaid's dress five or so years ago. I felt like I had a pretty nice figure, and I weighed about the same then as I do now. The woman who measured me told me (actually my mother, she asked, I didn't) that my bust, waist, and hip measurements were three different dress sizes, and that was an unusually big difference. She sounded embarrassed as she said this, like she was delivering bad news--that's what clued me in that my figure is not that great.

 

I wouldn't say it like that, I would say your figure is unique. Most women today, at least where I am, seem to be soft and weak or skinny and frail, and their form follows their function. Yours follows your function in that, as tomato said, it's strong and badass. You don't look like you'd break if I gave you a hug...

 

Trying to find a picture for comparison was hard. Maybe this? She's more curvy and less lumpy than me, but she's closer in chest size and shape than anything else I found. (And I love her hair!!) It actually feels conceited to compare myself to her because I think that she's pretty and I am not. At any rate, here is my butt in the leggings I ended up getting. I feel like I should note that I AM standing with my feet together--I'm slightly bowlegged.

 

To second what Guzzi said, a photo is a story and the person who writes the story is the photographer, and believe me, we can make the story say whatever we want. Especially if we have complete control over the variables involved like the person had with that picture. Also, we are our own worst critic, the fact that you think she's pretty and she's close to your shape would suggest that you think you're pretty, but because we pick ourselves apart we don't see things like that, I'm reminded of this video.

 

 

 

 

[Noname123]

This is something I've been thinking about since the beginning of the current challenge, when I needed to go get exercise clothes for colder weather. I have a hard time with it because I HATE wearing pants/trousers. I think they're really uncomfortable. For most of the year I exercise in skorts--the fabric on the shorts is thin enough that it's tolerable, and the skirt part makes it so that I don't feel so self-conscious. This will not work for winter, but I really didn't want to buy uncomfortable pants. The other option was leggings. I usually find them tolerable. (Thinner and stretchier material than pants.) I was hesitant to get any because of body image stuff, but I finally got a pair because: A. I go jogging after dusk, and it's too dark for anyone to see my figure well. B. Anybody who's out jogging too is highly unlikely to notice or care about my figure in any way.

 

I realized that I felt like, if I wore leggings as pants, I was declaring to the world that it should think that my butt is sexy. I do NOT think this. While there are things I want to improve about my figure, I'm relatively happy with it. (It looks a lot better with clothes on.) There are some things I'd change, but they're smallish, and probably healthily achievable if I manage to build some muscle. However, I see little reason that other people should find it attractive. I have an immensely difficult time trying to imagine that "sexy" (or pretty) could ever apply to me. I think I'm kind of cute. Things I like about my body? I like that I'm pretty flat-chested, even though it makes clothing-shopping difficult.

 

I got fitted for a bridesmaid's dress five or so years ago. I felt like I had a pretty nice figure, and I weighed about the same then as I do now. The woman who measured me told me (actually my mother, she asked, I didn't) that my bust, waist, and hip measurements were three different dress sizes, and that was an unusually big difference. She sounded embarrassed as she said this, like she was delivering bad news--that's what clued me in that my figure is not that great.

 

Trying to find a picture for comparison was hard. Maybe this? She's more curvy and less lumpy than me, but she's closer in chest size and shape than anything else I found. (And I love her hair!!) It actually feels conceited to compare myself to her because I think that she's pretty and I am not. At any rate, here is my butt in the leggings I ended up getting. I feel like I should note that I AM standing with my feet together--I'm slightly bowlegged.

 

 

I think most women are like this. I'm the same. I can't find pants that fit my bum and waist correctly and many t-shirts that fit by waist feel a little stretched up top. It's normal based on the common complaints I see in many forums. I mean someone with a fabulous and much admired bum such as Iggy is a 2 up top and a 6 down below! Different sizes is a wonderful thing  

[Silo]

Lalie, I am going to third the admiration of your quads. Yours are the shape that I would see on another woman at the gym and then think "wow, I hope I can get there one day."

I really love what Insanity wrote about you looking strong and badass because I completely agree with it and I feel like it's such a great goal. I saw my SIL in August for the first time since I had lost a lot of my weight and she gave me what I consider one of my best compliments todate--"Wow, Em, you look really strong! When you were thin in the past you...well I don't know how to say it without it sounding wrong but I mean that you really look good and strong!" And it's true, I was at a healthy weight when I was younger but definitely not fit/strong so that was a huge compliment to me.

I kind of get you on the pretty/sexy thing too. Once in a while I look in the mirror and think that I look good that day but, overall, I don't really feel like that. My older sister had guys tripping over themselves to be around her when we lived at home. I can remember her getting flowers from multiple guys on Valentine's Day and it was oddly common for a couple to show up and hang out with my parents until she got home. (My dad totally took advantage of this by having them do stuff like assemble his Sauder entertainment center while they waited btw.) On the flip side, I met my husband when I was very young and we've been together since 8th grade so I never dated in the usual sense or even had anybody hit on me. I'm perfectly happy with and consider myself extremely fortunate to have such a great husband but I also think that normal dating helps develop your self esteem a bit (of course it could crush it too so it may be a wash.) Anyway, yeah, I see myself as decent to most days but pretty would be a stretch. Unfortunately, my weight loss seems to have made this worse because I seem to be waiting for the day I look in the mirror and think "hey pretty lady."

Wow that was longer than I meant it to be.

[Bekah]

Beauty is very subjective. I do not think of myself as even remotely attractive, but I know at the end of the day, I'm not the one looking to be in a relationship with me, so if my partner accepts or likes the way I look, then that's good enough. It doesnt mean I dont want to change things I dont like, or whatever, but I refuse to let someone else's opinion of my body dictate how I look for one more second of my life. I don't like how I look, therefore it needs to change, anyone else's opinion is irrelevant. However, its taken me decades to think like that and some days its a total failure, but it's so much better than it was. Now I just have to accept my body's limits that have changed for the worse this year...it's a never ending struggle to love ourselves when everyone around us says we aren't good enough as we are.

I think each and every one of you are beautiful and special and loveable and smart and awesome.

[Bekah]

Noww that I actually read the beginning post...I know my image of myself is screwed up, and I was just saying the other day how I think I look vs how I look are probably very skewed, but here it is. I really did tell J that I feel like I look like her.

and here's a good idea of how I want to look

[kaelvan]

Noww that I actually read the beginning post...I know my image of myself is screwed up, and I was just saying the other day how I think I look vs how I look are probably very skewed, but here it is. I really did tell J that I feel like I look like her.

and here's a good idea of how I want to look

I'll say it, you don't look like J.  Not even close.

[Dleffe]

 

 

I'll just throw my 2 cents in, even photoshopped her figure does not look as nice as yours.

[Guzzi]

Beauty is very subjective. I do not think of myself as even remotely attractive...

I've been hunting for a picture of you on here that I remember seeing a long time back that I think disproves that remark. I'm sure it's one of you on a boat somewhere...? Can't find it anyways, but you look lovely. So there!

I think each and every one of you are beautiful and special and loveable and smart and awesome.

True! And that includes you, sweetie.

Sent from my stoopid phone which hates me I swear.

[Ahyar Dreamspark]

Okay, I've been lurking in here enough, so I should probably post something.

 

On the left: me, now. On the right: picture of the body type I think I have.

 

 

 

YAAAAYY GENDER DYSPHORIA X(

 

I couldn't find a pic of a model with the appropriate body type, so I just went with a picture Lestat ;P And yes, I know that Queen of the Damned was a horrible movie. I also tried looking for pics of myself back in the days where I weighed like 180 lbs, but I'm pretty sure those all got deleted long ago, because of reasons.

[SevenofSeven]

I don't know Queen of the Damned has cult status! 

 

I think you look beautiful Naxius.

[Bekah]

I'll just throw my 2 cents in, even photoshopped her figure does not look as nice as yours.

agreed. You look beautiful

and Guz....that goes for you as well, you look MUCH better than the pix of the body doubles you posted initially too! 

[Bekah]

I don't know Queen of the Damned has cult status! 

 

I think you look beautiful Naxius.

seconded.